“The state of society among us is undergoing a silent but rapid revolution. The master mechanic, who once worked alongside his apprentices and journeymen as an equal, has in many cases become a mere agent of the capitalist. He no longer works with his hands; he directs the labor of others, buying raw materials in large quantities and selling the product in distant markets. Meanwhile, the journeymen are crowded into large workshops, their wages governed by the cold laws of supply and demand, and their hopes of ever becoming independent masters are fast disappearing.”
—Adapted from a New York labor journal, 1834
The changes described in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following historical developments during the early nineteenth century?
- AThe return to isolated, self-sufficient household manufacturing in northern states
- The transition from independent artisanal production to wage labor and a more defined class structureCevap
- CThe decline of economic integration between western agricultural regions and northeastern urban centers
- DThe establishment of federal regulations to protect industrial workers from wage exploitation